Arm signal switch



. l, 1931. H. c. MAPES ETAL ARM SIGNAL SWITCH Filed Sept. 25, 1929 prize ,5

Patented Dec. 1; 1931' I f UNITED: (STATES Humane. warns AND AUGUSTUS a KNOWLES, or nosmemns, cALmoaNm 5' ABM SIGNALSWITGH Application filed September 25, 1 929. Serial No. 395,145,

. will throw alight on the extended arm of 10 the driver making the'signal. At nightit is frequently i difficult to see the drivers arm while ineXtended and signaling positioirand the purpose of the inventionis to properly illuminate the arm so that the signals made thereby willbe quitevi'sibleto othersif Another objector the invention is to pro-' vide asystem for illuminating; arm signals made by drivers of automobiles, which includes a normally open switch mounted on a stationary part offthe body of the vehicle and which is provided with an actuating member extending forwardly over the.win-

dow opening in the door so'that as the driver extends his arm through the window opening to make the armsignal the actuating member will be naturally engagedbythe, arm without thought or {conscious effort on the part 'oi the driver. The improved switch has anadjustable actuating member which can ,be adjusted as to length so that it may be accommodated to various forms of automobiles wherein the stiles on the doors at the sides of thewindow openingmay vary inthickness.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the switch, forming apart of the invention.

the line 55 upon F ig; 4." a v p R ferring to the accompanying drawings,

wherein similar reference characters desig natesimilar parts throughout, the auto mobile is-illustrated'as having a vertical jam'b 10,1adjacent' which there i's'a door 11 o'ppo-" site the driversseat S; Qnuthe jamb 10, near 00 the bottom of the windowopening -12,in the case o'fa closed car, there ismounted a switch housing 13, having :apertured flanges 14:;pr0-- vidin'g'fo'rits attachment to thejamb. This switch housingis preferably rectangular in 05 form and in the opposed sidewalls there are formedapertures'about which there are in-Q wardly extending tubular extensions lo and 16 which form. bearings fora tubularmember 17, which is longitudinall v slidable there through. The; tubular mem er 17 carriesa' ring of insulating material 18 against which there maybe a washer 19. T A coil spring 20 1 Is compressed between one of the side walls and the washer 19, urging the tubular memher into the position shown, although the tubular, member may be moved against the 2 action of the" spring until the washer 19 engagestheend of thetubular extension'lfi, limiting its movement'- A conducting ring so" 21 surroundsthe ring of insulatingmaterial 18, adjacent one end, and brushes 22 and 23 bear against the-opposite sides of-the insulating ring 18 and are adapted to be caused to engage theconducting'ring 21. The 55 brushes 22 and23 are in anele'ctr ic circuit which is connected'to the lamp, generally designated at 24, which is mounted on the ex terior of the car near the top of the jamb 10. u An actuatingm'e'mberis associated with the 9 tubular member 17," Consistingof a tube 25 extending into the tubular member'17; In the rear endof the tube 25' thereisa barrel. 26 containing a coil spring ZTengaging a ball 28 and urging this ball outwardly into anyof a number of'apertures' 29, which are slightly smaller inv size than the diameter of the ball. At the upper end of the barrel thereis a stud 30 slidable in a longitudinal slot 31 inl th'e tubular member17. At the forj ward end of the tube 25 there is an arm engaging member 32, preferably presenting a concave forward surface.

While various forms of lamp structures may be employed to cast a light on the drivers arm when extended in signaling position, the details of. the lamp structure preferably employed are illustrated in Figs. 4.- and 5. The lamp, structure disclosed therein comprises a base 33 on which there is a lamp socket for the lamp 34-. The lamp housing which is mounted on the base may be formed of sheet metal, indicated at 35, bent into approximately three-quarters of a cylinder. The opposed edges of the sheet metal housing 35 are flanged or recessed, as at 36, so as to receive the side edges of a curvedlens 37.-

Retaining rings 38 are positioned on the ends of the housing and serve the double function of holding the curved lens 37 in place between the-opposed edges of the sheet metal housing and fastening lens 39 and 40 to the ends of the housing. These lenses or bu-lls eyes 39 and40 are preferably coloredso that the for wardle'ns will thrmv a green light and the rear lens throw a red light. When the lamp is mounted on the vehicle and the electric lamp 3.4 illuminated, light may shine downwardly through the lens 37 and horizontally through both lenses 39 and 40- The operation and advantages of the improved system are as follows. When the driver of the vehicle extends his arm through the window opening 12 to make aisignal, the arm will naturally, without conscious efiort on the part of the driver, engage the arm engaging-member 32. The ball 28, extending in to oneof the apertures 29, causes the tubular member 17 to be moved rearwarjdly by the tube 25, positioning the conducting ring 21 between the brushes 22 and 23, closing the electric circuit through the lamp 34. After the signal has been made and the driver wit-hdraws his arm, the spring 20 returns the structureto its normal position wherein the circuit through the lamp 34 is broken. The

purpose of the spring actuated ball 28 is to allow the tube 25 to be adjusted with respect to the tubular member 17. This adjustment can be accomplished by pulling or pushing the tube 25 with excessive force relatively to the tubular member 17, causing the ball 28 to bemoved out of the aperture against the action of the spring 27 and snapped into the desired aperture. ,The stiles at the sides of the window openings 12 vary in thickness on different makes of automobiles and this adjustment enables the construction to acconb modate itself to various types of automobiles. The only thing essential is to have the arm engaging member32 positioned forwardly of the stile so as to be capable of being engaged by the drivers arm.

While the present invention has been de signed for use on automobiles of the closed car type, it will be readily appreciated that the same construction can be readily adapted for use on automobiles of the touring or road ster type with but slight alteration.

It will be noted that as all of the contacts and wiring are located on a stationary part of the .auton'iob-ile, rather than on the door, that there will be no chafing of the wiring to weaken the insulation thereon and cause short circuits. At the same time, although the arm engaging member extends across the stile of the door, the improved construction in no way interferes with the normal opening and closing of the door.

Various changes may be made in the details of'construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

lVe claim:

1.. A switch comprising a. housing, a. tubular member slida-ble within the housing, a band of insulating material disposed about the tubular member, a conducting band surrounding a portion of the insulating material, contacts adapt-ed to engage the conducting band, spring means urging the tubular memher into a position wherein the contacts engage only the insulating material, and an e);- tensible member disposed within the tubular member carrying a spring pressed plunger adapted tov engage either of a plurality of apertures in the tubular member to releasably hold the extensible member in adjusted posi tion with respect to the tubular member.

2. A switch comprising a housing, a tubular member slidable in the housing, spring means urging the tubular member into a predetermined position, means for causing an electrical connection tobe establishedwhen the tubular member is moved against the action of 'the spring means, and an extensible member carrying a spring pressed plimger adapted to engage any of a series of apertures in the tubular member whereby the extensible member may be adjusted and held in adjusted position with respect to the tubular member.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification. HER-MAN C. MAPES. AUGUSTUS A. KNOWLES. 

